Sonic Origins 1

The Sonic Origins collection brings a slew of classic Sonic titles to Xbox later this week. Ahead of its June 23rd launch, we thought we'd take a look at some early impressions of the bundle to see how things are stacking up thus far.

Here are some early reviews of Sonic Origins:

Push Square (7/10)

Sonic Origins presents four of the hedgehog's best games with style, and it's a joy to revisit these iconic platformers. Presentational flourishes like the animated cutscenes, as well as a host of extra modes like Boss Rush and Missions, give fans and newcomers alike plenty to see and do, and the Museum is full of interesting artwork you might not have seen before. Some stingy DLC practices let the side down, and of course, the games themselves have some 30-year-old weaknesses, but this is by-and-large a wonderful spin down memory lane.

PlayStation Universe (9.5/10)

Sonic Origins is a collection Sonic’s most memorable outings, and personally, the only way SEGA could have celebrated such a major milestone for the spiky fella. Not only do they still play great, but they look brilliant in HD and the amount of extras is a nice nod to longtime fans. Even if you’re a newcomer, you simply cannot miss out on these 16-bit gems.

GameSpew (9/10)

Each Sonic game presented here in Sonic Origins has something that makes it stand out from the rest. But they all share a certain magic that means we return to them, time and time again, year after year; that’s why this collection exists, after all. And it’s thanks to this collection that yet more players, young and old, are going to be able to enjoy these classics.

Game Informer (8.5/10)

Sonic Origins provides easy access to all four of these beloved titles with new, gorgeously animated, bookended cutscenes. You can play them in Classic Mode, with the original aspect ratio and limited lives system preserved, or you can play the preferred Anniversary Mode. Here, the aspect ratio natively fits widescreen monitors, Sonic can access the drop-dash move from Sonic Mania, and the limited lives system is removed.

Shacknews (8/10)

Sonic Origins is not only an excellent trip down memory lane for fans of the series, it’s also the perfect entry point for those looking to play them for the very first time. The games are all as beautiful as ever and control like a dream. There are also a plethora of bonus goodies that celebrate the iconic artwork and music of the platforming series. While it’s easy to get caught up in arguments about the current direction of the Sonic IP, Sonic Origins is a refreshing reminder that the original games are among the best 2D platformers ever made.

COGConnected (7/10)

While Anniversary Mode is great, there’s more to this collection. For starters, the games are in proper 16:9 format, as opposed to the old 4:3 you might be used to. Also, the pixels themselves look crisp and clean on modern monitors. If you’re a gaming history buff, Sonic Origins is crammed with artwork. Instruction manuals, promo art, box art, the whole nine yards. Sonic may seem eternal, but Sega’s mascot has gone through a lot of tweaks in the last thirty years. If you’re looking for a challenge, there’s also a Boss Rush mode and a Mirror mode.

Destructoid (6.5/10)

There are a few situations where you should still jump on Sonic Origins. The first is the very rare chance that you don’t already own these games somewhere. The improvements here are so minor that I wouldn’t recommend buying these games again for the sake of them. Really, my favorite new feature is being able to replay bonus levels because gathering the necessary rings can be so onerous.

All in all, Sonic Origins seems to be impressing folks thus far! It's sitting at an 80 on Metacritic at the time of writing; a respectable score all told. Sega's upcoming collection hits Xbox platforms on June 23rd.

Will you be jumping into this one later this week? Let us know down in the comments.